Steam & Excursion > Update on the Greenbrier Express with 614

Looks like this train operated by C&O steam locomotive 614 might really become reality, the Hotel has a $15,000,000 investment in the train and plans to have it operational in the next 12 to 14 months.

Here's a link to the article
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/business/x1666007687/Greenbrier-owner-15M-tourism-train-in-works

That would be great if they pull this together!

Here is another article on it that gives some slightly different info:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/06/16/1309602/the-greenbrier-teaming-up-with.html

Victor

Even though it came from the news article, I would like to hear what Ross Rowland has to say about this. Considering the fact that he has something else planned for the 614.

Luke Iverson



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/10 15:38 by Zephyr78.

victorpeters Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That would be great if they pull this together!
>
> Here is another article on it that gives some
> slightly different info:
> http://www.kentucky.com/2010/06/16/1309602/the-gre
> enbrier-teaming-up-with.html
>
> Victor

from that article: "... it could end up taking guests to and from Keeneland on existing rail lines in lavishly restored, historic brunch, lounge and passenger cars."
I'm guessing a brunch car might be something simpler than a dining car, but better than an Automat Car? (I need to know before I make my reservations!)

Have they talked to CSX about this yet......

Be grand to see that beautiful machine unlimber once more! Good luck. Kurt.

I will believe this once I have downloaded the images of 614 on the C&O and posted them to my Flickr page. If CSX won't tow a DIT steamer 10 miles, do we actually think they'll allow one to run from DC to West Virginia on a scheduled passenger train?

(Here's to hoping it comes true! Ross, can you chime in?)

-Don Kalkman

So far, here she sits.
Ed K. cp Laurel Run

---

I am curious about the "ownership" of Greenbrier. I thought that CSX was unable to unload it on anyone except Marriott which took out a 5 year lease to see how things went instead of buying it outright.
Too lazy to google around at this point but maybe someone knows who is running the show?? I am sure that CSX would be eager to cooperate in anything to keep this a going concern and ultimately get it off their books???
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

What plans does the 614 have? I wonder how much time it has in its 15 year ..

1003-2719-1385-engr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What plans does the 614 have? I wonder how much
> time it has in its 15 year ..


I think I can safely answer a little bit of this until Ross speaks up. The "plans" for the 614 are the Yellow Ribbon Express, a train touring the country much like the American Freedom Train did in '75-'76, but in support of our troops. It's still on the fund-raising stage, I think. As for the 614's tubes, I'm pretty sure it hasn't actually been run since 1998 and it would need the 15-year flue removal now. Ross hasn't wanted to spend the money on it until there's an opportunity to run, which makes complete sense.

Scott Gordon

Maybe I'm missing something - it is late - but I don't see anything in either article that references 614. The article mentions the last steam engine ever made in the U.S., well, 611 comes closer to fitting that bill than 614.

Roger Holmes

Zephyr78 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Even though it came from the news article, I would
> like to hear what Ross Rowland has to say about
> this. Considering the fact that he has something
> else planned for the 614.
>
> Luke Iverson

This is the same deal that was mentioned roughly one
year ago. The old routing is mentioned and a new one
is proposed so I doubt we could be reading about any
other engine but C&O #614.

I will quote Ross from a recent RYPN post and the words
are the same as they were one year back...

"Stay Tuned...."

It would be interesting should both projects come to
fruition however, that being the case, I do not think
there will be a shortage of engines to fill the need!

/Mitch

Q4960 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe I'm missing something - it is late - but I
> don't see anything in either article that
> references 614. The article mentions the last
> steam engine ever made in the U.S., well, 611
> comes closer to fitting that bill than 614.
>
> Roger Holmes

We were debating the whole "last steam engine build in the US" on the eastern board. Not only is 614 not the last steam engine built in the US, but also not the last passenger steam engine built, not the last C&O steam engine built, nor the last steam engine built from one of the big commercial builders. If you combine all of those though, she might be the last dedicated passenger steam engine built by a commercial builder in the US. However the fact that the press continues to change that into "the last steam engine built in the US" is really irritating.

Do you think the press has the space to include all of that information? This isn't Trains Magazine!

Which works better for a story?

"Last [commercially built 4-8-4] steam locomotive built [for dedicated passenger service] in the United States"

or

"Last steam locomotive built in the United States."

It's marketing, pure and simple. I'm sure no one interviewed would go to great lengths to give that many details to a non-railroad reporter. The more information one gives in an interview, the more liable someone is to screw it up.

You can't mess up "last steam engine built in the country." Period. It's about selling the aroma, not the meal! ;)

Ladies and Gents,

Please allow me to highjack 2 famous quotes as my response to this;

1. " Thems that are talkin don't know....and thems that knows ain't talkin"... Daniel Boone 1779

2. " We sell no bottle of wine before its time".... Julio Gallo 1965

3. " Steams finest hour is not in the past, but in the future!".... Ross Rowland 2010

Please stay tuned!!

Thank you, Ross Rowland, President
Greenbrier Express Company,Inc.

Ross,

Well said! Good luck!

Ken Britton
Bedford, TX

I just HATE it when some uninformed women reporter writes about the "last steam engine built in the United States." When you KNOW she is wrong about something that you are knowledgeable ... it makes you not beleave her about all the other points, which you have NO knowledge of. In other words... her reporting is suspect and useless. BTW, what about the 1953-built N&W 0-8-0's, or the 1953 Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton builder's plate I have off a Gayaqil and Quito 2-8-0? I guess they don't count as U.S.-built steam locomotives. Ha! (I won't even get into the pair of 4-4-0's built for Promontary Point, or the "new" steam that appeared at the Owosso Steamfest.) Someone please stop me. There are more. Keystone1

CarolVoss Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am curious about the "ownership" of Greenbrier.
> I thought that CSX was unable to unload it on
> anyone except Marriott which took out a 5 year
> lease to see how things went instead of buying it
> outright.
> Too lazy to google around at this point but maybe
> someone knows who is running the show?? I am sure
> that CSX would be eager to cooperate in anything
> to keep this a going concern and ultimately get it
> off their books???
> C.



Marriott was in the process of purchasing the Greenbrier when another company came in and outbid them. I forget the name but they are now full owners and a casino is about to open in I believe July. The Greenbrier is fully off CSX's hands.

I think you can safely leave out the non-common carrier engines of Promontory, Leviathan, and Mt. Washington Cog. Miniatures as well.

Last commercially built for a US (common carrier) RR was probably that C&O Mallet that's at the B&O Museum.

Last for a US (common carrier) RR would have been an N&W switcher.

But really, they should have just said "one of the last steam locomotives ever built" and it would have been fine.

--

"I like talking about [brand] wine. But I'd much rather drink it!" (sorry I can no longer remember the attribution)